|
|
 |
|
 |
|
(As Adapted from 泥iaries...)
INTRODUCTION
My mother thinks I知 mad卜uy loco. Why else, she asks, would I have nearly
drowned myself, on rivers and ocean, a total of six times now?
My pitch to her is the practical aspect of all those close calls: skill- and ability building,
mom, so I can enjoy all my water-borne adventures more safely! And I clarify
to her that yes, I am mad, but not the way she thinks. I知 angry mad. Mad about a lot of
things.
I知 mad...that I live in a country doing more to fuel global warming and less to
halt it, than any other highly civilized nation on the planet.
I知 mad...that our present Federal administration is hell-bent on using its
strategically-placed politicos to desecrate and dismantle all manner of scientific studies
about the environment which might otherwise reveal anti-business or anti-development
findings and conclusions.
I知 mad...that I live in an era when the Endangered Species Act, national wildlife
refuges, national parks, and even our national forests are all being dismantled by
shortsighted politicians thumbing their noses at our long history and tradition of
protecting environmental treasures.
I知 mad...that despite the billions in tax money poured into its recovery, the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is still on its deathbed, as even greater water exports are
now being contemplated.
I知 mad...that we池e on our way to paving over an astonishing 2,000 square miles
of the State landscape to grape vineyards, an agricultural crop-type with little-to-no
habitat value for native wildlife and posing great risks to stream ecosystems and their
aquatic life, especially along the forested coast.
And I知 mad...that while our tax money is being spent for band-aid approaches to
habitat restoration (equivalent to putting lipstick on a corpse) along the Gualala and other
rivers, the cumulative losses of ecosystem-functioning driving the problems continue
unchecked and mostly ignored.
There痴 so much to be mad about and so little time. With that realization comes
the hard choices. Which noble fight does one pursue? And what approach has the best
chance of truly making a difference?
|
|
|
|
|
